When I met Angela Lewis, in NYC, at the Season 2 Premiere screening of Snowfall in July 2018, there was something inspiring and magnetic about her personality that drew me in! Then she made a statement that has remained with me, “Sometimes you have to take the time to sit in your dreams.” After she made that powerful remark, I not only wanted but needed to get to know her better. Angela truly exemplifies what “A Colorful Dreamer” means to me; someone who is determined to live out their lifelong dreams no matter what the circumstance.
Miss Angela Lewis was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan with the lifelong dream of fusing her essence into the soul of various characters on the big screen. Acting has never been a hobby for her, but more of a personal escape that helps with her evolution as a human being. Currently, Angela is starring in the hit television series, Snowfall, in what she calls her standout role. She embodies the character of Aunt Louie, whose nephew is taking the early 80’s crack cocaine drug game by storm with the help of her boyfriend, Jerome.
In this role, Angela is a bold, assertive, no-nonsense woman dealing with the unexpected life of selling drugs and crime. I love the character that she plays on Snowfall. It’s edgy, yet soft. You can feel Angela’s charisma shine through the character Louie. This provides a complexity that locks you into how multi-faceted a woman can be. My curiosity is with understanding who Angela is without Louie.
“I want to move the human, American culture forward so that people of color can stand & speak in their truth while doing their part and to not be punished for that. I long for us to go through the world and not feel in danger.” – Angela Lewis
When I asked Angela what her purpose is, she enthusiastically stated, she longs to “inspire people to be their best selves. Standing in one’s truth is what allows that person to shine.” Her response instantly reassured me that our meeting was a divine connection! We share similar views about our purpose in life. A purpose that is driven by helping others and genuinely wanting them to live happily in their truth. Once your truth is defined, it’s important to see your truth represented in the media.
In the world of acting in Hollywood, Angela states that women of color don’t always have opportunities to shine in their truths since they get told no more than yes. This does not defer her dream or purpose but actually pushes her forward as she is a woman that never gives up on herself. “I moved to New York from Detroit to follow my dreams of acting. One day, I want to go back to show the doubters that I made it.” That yearning keeps the need to define herself to her fans top-of-mind. She is more than an African American woman and actress. The desire is to deliver her truth with her brand. “I want to make my brand airtight; I’m focused on how I can best articulate what it is. My brand and person goes beyond the physical and what is seen on tv.” She is a person that genuinely wishes to change the landscape of the world through her artistry. “The more I can do that [articulate my brand], the more doors I can pry open to help others like me.”
Miss Lewis believes that she will be acting for a long time. Although Angela takes the time to sit in her dream, she says, “I do not want to get too caught up in it [my dream] in order to let God work!” She would like to remain open and mailable while moving towards her fears. “If something makes me scared, to me, that means I need to be doing it.” This spoke to me as a fellow dreamer. At times we run from what scares us, it’s refreshing to have a reminder to lean into the fear. That’s when you grow the most in your truth.
Angela’s advice to anyone seeking to make it in the industry is simple- do the work! “People always ask me how to be ‘put on’! The best advice I can give is, bring your best self to the table knowing that you have done everything you can do before you ask.” Angela has a nurturing personality, therefore she finds it extremely challenging when people ‘slide into her DM’s’ on Instagram to ask for assistance in their aspirations of acting. Her thought process around that is “First off, I don’t know you, Secondly, do you have your stuff together?” In other words, before asking anyone for help, take a second to really ask yourself have you done the work in order for them to want to help you? As the saying goes, hard work beats talent and beauty every time.
Outside of her daily hustle, Angela is the lead in another film, the Sc-Fi thriller entitled, “Let Them Die Like Lovers,” by Jesse Atlas. The film has been making its rounds in the festival circuit as the Official Selection in the 2017 Fantastic Fest and The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. I am so excited to see how God will help Angela define her brand and continue to bless her artistic & creative journey!
Follow Angela Lewis @luvangelalewis on IG & Twitter and at http://www.luvangelalewis.com.
Images provided by Bobby Quillard, Matthias Clamer/FX, & Ray Mickshaw/FX